Currently on view is a unique project in the mountains of Vorarlberg, Austria produced by British artist Antony Gormley (b.1950) in collaboration with the Kunsthaus Bregenz. Entitled Horizon Field, the project consists of 100 life-size solid cast-iron figures of the human body, dispersed over an area of 150 square kilometers in the Austrian Alps. The positioning of the figures in such a special location addresses the relationship between human beings and life on earth.

In Gormley’s words, “Horizon Field asks: Where does the human project fit within the evolution of life on this planet? The works form a field in which living bodies and active minds are involved in measuring the space and distance through the field of these static iron bodies, and of course both skiers and hikers will be part of this. This installation recognizes the deep connection between social and geological territory; between landscape and memory.”

Each sculpture is mounted at an interval ranging from sixty meters to several kilometers. The figures look in all directions but never face each other. Some are placed in areas where they can be easily viewed by hikers or skiers, while others are visible yet situated in unreachable areas.

Antony Gormley’s iron figures engage human perception, imagination and physical sensation. They will be in place for a total of two years, during which time they will be exposed to the natural elements of wind, rain and snow as well as various lighting conditions. The works themselves will become weathered over time thus providing continually new impressions and discoveries for the viewer.

British sculptor Antony Gormley (b.1950) has explored the human body as a place of memory and transformation for over twenty five years. Horizon Field further investigates the relationship of the self with the environment, interpersonal relationships, and life itself.

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